Miniature Golden Retriever

20-45 lbs
14-18"
United States
Golden Retriever
Cocker Spaniel x Poodle
Petite Golden Retriever, Comfort Retriever

The Miniature Golden Retriever, also commonly called the Comfort Retriever, is a designer dog, a deliberate crossbreeding of the Golden Retriever and the Poodle, usually with a smattering of Cocker Spaniel thrown in as well. This hybrid should be a friendly, intelligent, and easy to train canine with excellent retrieving instincts, but due to the sheer number of breeders developing this dog, it is essential that you do your homework. The inclusion of some Cocker Spaniel lines may trigger snappy or aggressive behavior, and both the Golden Retriever and the Poodle have high rates of hip dysplasia, so a thorough history of your pups parents to check for problem behaviors, incidents of hip dysplasia, and even heart disorders is essential part of choosing your Miniature Golden Retriever.

purpose Purpose
Companion and Hunting Dog
history Date of Origin
2000's
ancestry Ancestry
Golden Retriever, Poodle, and Cocker Spaniel

Miniature Golden Retriever Health

Average Size
Male Miniature Golden Retriever size stats
Height: 14-18 inches Weight: 20-45 lbs
Female Miniature Golden Retriever size stats
Height: 14-18 inches Weight: 20-45 lbs
Major Concerns
  • Patellar Luxation
  • Elbow Dysplasia
  • Retinal Dysplasia
  • Canine Hip Dysplasia
  • Mitral Valve Dysplasia
Minor Concerns
  • Cataracts
  • Urolithiasis
  • Glaucoma
  • Diabetes
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Portosystemic Shunt
  • Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca
  • Subaortic Stenosis
  • Patent Ductus Arteriosis (PDA)
  • Atopy
Occasional Diagnoses
  • Deafness
  • Epilepsy
  • Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease
  • Intervertebral Disc Disease
  • Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA)
  • Malassezia Dermatitis/Otitis
Occasional Tests
  • Skin Evaluation
  • Electrocardiogram
  • BAER Testing
  • Neurological Testing
  • X-rays or other radiographic imaging
  • Eye and Ear Examination

Miniature Golden Retriever Breed History

The Miniature Golden Retriever is a designer dog, a deliberate hybrid of the Golden Retriever, a breed of retriever developed in Scotland in the mid to late 1800’s, and the Poodle, a multi-talented dog that is capable of excelling at activities as varied as water retrieval, circus performance, police work, and truffle hunting. This is done with the intent to develop a dog with the appearance, instincts, and temperament of the Golden Retriever in a much smaller canine; typically around half the size. Several breeders have been working independently to develop this breed since the early 2000s. Those that are working on refining the Miniature Golden Retriever have frequently incorporated genetics from the Cocker Spaniel, an expert game flushing dog, as well. This was more common during the beginning of development, but many on the breeders noticed an increase in snappish behavior when the Cocker Spaniel heritage was introduced and they ceased the inclusion of this breed. Even those Miniature Golden Retrievers that do not incorporate any Cocker Spaniel genetics at all are considered to be a separate hybrid from the Goldendoodle cross because they are selectively bred to look and act like the traditional Golden Retriever, but are much smaller and less likely to be hypoallergenic than the Goldendoodle. Breeders of Goldendoodles are more likely to incorporate genetics from larger poodles, whereas Miniature Golden Retriever breeders prefer to include smaller or miniature sized Poodle. Although the majority of breeders are developing these dogs as companion animals or therapy dogs, some individuals that are breeding Miniature Golden Retrievers specialize in breeding hunting dogs, instead.

Miniature Golden Retriever Breed Appearance

The Miniature Golden Retriever is an athletic small to medium-sized dog with a fairly broad skull and a straight muzzle that is a little on the long side. The eyes will most often be slightly slanted and brown like that of the Golden Retriever but they may occasionally be more oval-shaped and on very rare occasions unusual eye colors like amber or blue may be passed down from the Poodle, and their medium-length to short ears fold forward and fall close to the cheek. This hybrid typically inherits the double coat of the Golden Retriever and is also selectively bred to exhibit the characteristic colors of the Golden Retriever, which comes in many varying shades of deep lustrous gold. The distinctive coat of the Miniature Golden Retriever is comprised of a thick undercoat protected by an outer layer of hard, medium length guard hairs that typically have a slight wave to them, although occasionally a Miniature Golden will develop the curly hair of the Poodle breed.

Eye Color Possibilities
brown Miniature Golden Retriever eyes
Brown
Nose Color Possibilities
black Miniature Golden Retriever nose
Black
brown Miniature Golden Retriever nose
Brown
Coat Color Possibilities
isabella Miniature Golden Retriever coat
Isabella
red Miniature Golden Retriever coat
Red
cream Miniature Golden Retriever coat
Cream
Coat Length
coat
Short Medium Long
Coat Density
coat density
pin
Sparse Normal Dense
Coat Texture
coat texture
Miniature Golden Retriever wavy coat texture
Straight Wiry Wavy Curly Corded

Miniature Golden Retriever Breed Maintenance

The Miniature Golden Retriever, like the Golden Retriever it is modelled after, has moderate grooming requirements. Golden Retrievers are prone to some doggy odor and require monthly baths, although the inclusion of the cleaner smelling Poodle may reduce the odor a bit. While Goldendoodles are often hypoallergenic due to the contribution of the Poodle coat, this is rarely true of the Miniature Golden Retriever, although they may shed a little less than their purebred counterpart. Daily brushing is required to prevent tangles and matting in their dense undercoat as well as to prevent tangles from forming in the feathering on their face, ears, tail, and legs and their ears should be checked regularly to ensure that they are clean, dry, and free of infection. 

Brushes for Miniature Golden Retriever
Pin Brush
Pin Brush
Comb
Comb
Scissors
Scissors
Nail Clipper
Nail Clipper
Brushing Frequency
fur daily fur weekly fur monthly
Miniature Golden Retriever requires daily brushing
Daily Weekly Monthly

Miniature Golden Retriever Temperament

This hybrid is specifically designed to have a similar temperment to the parent breed of the Golden Retriever so they are typically kind and trustworthy animals. They don’t always make the best guard dogs as they tend to be a bit too friendly and trusting with everyone for that particular role. They get along well not only with people of all ages, but also with new dogs or even other animals, and are generally excellent companions for even the smallest of children, although interactions between small children and even the most even tempered of canines should always be monitored, for the safety of both the child and the canine. The Golden Retriever is an athletic and intelligent animal and the addition of the Poodle does nothing to diminish these traits and in some cases may even heighten them. This is an extremely responsive and intelligent animal who generally displays the same multifaceted trainability of their parent breeds. The inclusion of the Cocker Spaniel to the mix make this hybrid somewhat more likely to follow their nose and may occasionally inspire protective or snappish behavior.  

Miniature Golden Retriever Activity Requirements

This crossbreed is a very active and athletic animal and as such it requires a great deal of exercise compared to many other dog breeds. Somewhere around 90 minutes to two hours a day is required to ensure this canine gets enough exercise to both maintain their fitness and to expend their energy so they don’t resort to noisy and destructive behavior out of boredom. Fortunately there are a lot of ways to keep these canines from getting bored as they may enjoy the inclusion of activities as varied as swimming, agility training, nose work, rally training, and even canine freestyle dancing. 

Activity Level
low activity medium activity high activity
Low Medium High
Rec. Walk Mileage Per Week
14 miles
walk mileage
Minutes of Activity Per Day
90 minutes
activity minutes

Miniature Golden Retriever Food Consumption

Cups Per Day
2.5 cups
cup per day cost cup per day cost
Daily Cost
$1.20 - $1.40
food bowls daily cost
Monthly Cost
$34.00 - $45.00
food bag monthly cost

Miniature Golden Retriever Height & Weight

6 Months
Male Miniature Golden Retriever size stats at six months
Height: 14.0 inches Weight: 23.0 lbs
Female Miniature Golden Retriever size stats at six months
Height: 14.0 inches Weight: 23.0 lbs
12 Months
Male Miniature Golden Retriever size stats at 12 months
Height: 15.0 inches Weight: 29.5 lbs
Female Miniature Golden Retriever size stats at 12 months
Height: 15.0 inches Weight: 29.5 lbs
18 Months
Male Miniature Golden Retriever size stats at 18 months
Height: 16.0 inches Weight: 32.5 lbs
Female Miniature Golden Retriever size stats at 18 months
Height: 16.0 inches Weight: 32.5 lbs

Miniature Golden Retriever Owner Experiences

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